Ice can



'L. S. MORSE Aug. 4, 1931.

ICE CAN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1930 Gttorncgs Aug. 4, 1931. L.s. MORSE 1,817,263

ICE CAN Filed June 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 20m 5. mm

Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS S. MORSE, OFYORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOE TO YORK ICE MACHINERY CORPORATION, 01 YORK,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ICE CAN Application filed June25,

This invention relates to refrigeration, and particularly to ice cans.

The object of the invention is to produce a a can unit, preferably amultiple can unit, in which a single part serves two functions.

3 tion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 1sa perspective View of a fourcan unit suspended by the improved liftingmeans. 26'

: gagement with the lifting yoke on the can unit.

Fig; 6 is a View similar to Figl'5' showing the yoke in liftingposition.

It will be understood that any number of cans may be combined in asingle unit, but for purposes of illustratlon, a four-can unit isillustrated. The cans are indicated generally by the reference numeral11. Each can has a mouth band 12 which is riveted or otherwise connectedto the mouth of the can and reinforces the same. Between the first andsecond cans, and also between the third and fourth cans, there areinserted plate-like members 13. The cans are held together and e themembers 13 are held in position by riv t 1 mouth bands 12 of these twocans. lower portions of the cans are held 1n spaced 14 which passthrough the mouth bands 12 of both cans and through the member 13. Thesecond and third cans are held together by rivets 15 which pass directlythrough Ihhe 1930. Serial No. 463,700.

relation and protected against bulging by an encircling band 16 which issuspended by the straps 17 from the mouth bands 12 of the end cans.There are suspended straps 17 on both ends of the can unit.

There are cross members 18 extending through the space between each pairof adjacent cans and connected at their opposite ends to the band 16.

The members 13 are provided near their opposite ends with notches 19 fora purpose not concerned with the present invention, and each has at itsmiddle a notch made up of a relatively narrow slot 21 which merges intoan enlargement, preferably circular, indicated at 22.

NVhen the can unit is filled and in place in the brine tank, the tworecesses 22 serve to position the manifold pipe 23 to which a pluralityof drop pipes 24 are connected. The connection is by means of releasableclamps whose form is not material to the present invention. Air issupplied to'the manifold 23 through a flexible hose connection 26 (seeFig.2). It will be observed that the pipe is so dimensioned that it willpass through the narrow slot into the recess and that the curved bottomof the recess will approximately center the manifold pipe.

At or before the completion of the freezing operation, the drop pipe 24and the manifold 23 are removed as is usual in the art, and when thecans have been completely frozen they are lifted out by a grapplestructure which enters the openings 22 through the slot 21 and after apartial rotation may not be withdrawn through the slot 21. This grapplecomprises a tubular bar 31 into the endsof which are inserted grapplemembers 32 which are offset downwardly as indicated at 33. Below eachoffset is a lug 34 whose configuration is best shown in Fig. 5. In endview it is approximately semi-circular and has a curvature conforming tothe circular curvature of the opening 22. The lower face 35' is notstrictly flat but is slightly bowed or convex as indicated in Figs. 5and 6.

Surrounding each end of the tubular bar 31 are sleeves 36 each of whichis connected to the tubular bar 31 and to a corresponding one of themembers 32 by a rivet 37. Each sleeve 36 is provided with apertured lugs38 between which the end link of a chain 39 is received. The bolt 41passed through the lugs 38 holds the chain in position. There are twochains 39, one for each sleeve, and these chains are connected to anysuitable hoisting means represented by the block 12. To engage thelifting member with the lifting plates 13, the bar is canted to theposition shown in Fig. 5, at which time the lugs 34 will pass throughthe slots 21 and into the circular opening 22.

If the bar be turned 90 so that the lugs 38 assume upright positions thelugs 34 fill the upper half of the opening 22 and thus cannot pass backthrough the slot 21. llf the block 42 be lowered sufficiently it is asimple matter to strike the lugs 34 into the notches 21 allowing them todrop to the bottom of the opening 22. Thereafter by merely hoistingthrough the block 42 the bar 31 may be caused to rotate and assume theposition shown in Fig, 6. After the can unit hasbeen lowered to aposition of rest the block42 is further lowered whereupon the grapplebar 31 will turn or may be turned by hand to a position such as thatshown in Fig. 5 at which time the lugs '34: may be lifted through theslots 21.

The offsets 33 serve two functions. They engage with the plates 13 andprevent endwise motion of the bar 31 and its connected I parts alsotheir effectand the'effect of the offset produced by the upwardextending lugs 38 is cumulative so that when freely sus pended the bar31 tends to assume the posican unit, and are dimensioned to permit the.

tion indicated in Fig. 6.

Themechanism described is simple and inexpensive to construct, and iscapable of being manipulated with ease and rapidity. Furthermore, thegrapple structure introduces no complications in connection with the airmanifold. The location of the air manifold is imposed by the necessitythat each drop pipe be located accurately at the center of its can. Thegrapple should also be centered to balance the unit. The provision of asimple structure which will meet both these requirements and in which asingle notch serves not only to center the grapple but also to positionthe drop pipe manifold offers marked advantages and is a decided advancein the art.

I claim:

1. Lifting means for can units comprising in combination with such unit,a pair of spaced lifting members mounted on the unit and each having aslot extending from an edge thereof and terminatmg 1n an enlargement;suspending means; a bar normally pendant from said suspending means; 7

and lugs carried by said bar, said lugs being so proportioned that inthenormal pendant position ofthe bar the lugsare incapable of passingthrough said slots, but are rendered capable of passing through when thebar is tilted about is longitudinal axis.

2. Lifting means for can units comprising in combination with such unit,a pair of spaced lifting members mounted on the unit and each having aslot extending from an edge thereof and terminating in a circularenlargement; suspending means; a bar normally pendant from saidsuspending means; and lugs carried by said bar and having asubstantially se1ni-circular cross section, said lugs being sopositioned that in the normal pendant position of the bar the lugs areincapable of passing through said slots, but are rendered capable ofpassing through when the bar is tilted about its longitudinal axis.

3. Lifting means for can units comprising in combination with such unit,a pair of spaced lifting members mounted on the unit and each having aslot extending from an edge thereof and terminating in an enlargement;suspending means, a bar normally pendant from said suspending means; anddownwardly offset lugs carried by said bar, the offsets serving toengage said lifting members to position the bar longitudinally and thelugs having one face flattened and being so arranged relatively to thebar that they are incapable of passing through said slots in the normalpendant position of the bar and capable of passing through said slotswhen the bar is tilted about its longitudinal axis.

1. The combination defined in claim 1 further characterized in thatsaidslots are centered on the center line of the top of the LOUIS s.MORSE.

